As Congress begins to determine appropriations levels for FY25, STS will continue to advocate for robust funding for critical government programs, which are vital for advancing patient care and medical research.
In this panel discussion, STS members exchange viewpoints on a new study that found patients with postoperative PE had increased 30-day mortality, reintubation, and readmission rates, which was presented at the 2024 STS Annual Meeting.
In this episode, Dr. David T. Cooke talks with Dr. Angelica Martin, UC Davis Health, and Dr. Lillian Tsai, Stanford Medicine, about their career journeys and the people who have been a positive influence on them. “I come from an underserved community and I’m the first in my family to go to college,” said Dr. Martin. “At first, it felt like I was navigating this career on my own. My mentor has been my north star.”
In this short video, STS members exchange viewpoints on a new study that found patients with postoperative PE had increased 30-day mortality, reintubation, and readmission rates, which was presented at the 2024 STS Annual Meeting.
Robbin Cohen, MD, Cedars-Sinai at Huntington Hospital, is joined by the study’s lead author, Andrea L. Axtell, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Michael Smith, MD, Norton Thoracic Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center, and John Mitchell, MD, University of Colorado Health, to discuss the research methodology, findings and impact on improving patient care.
UC Davis Health, based in Sacramento, California, knew that implementing quality improvement measures required operational and clinical analytics to guide process development and care redesign efforts. This case study explains how the health system addressed clinical documentation challenges through better data, education, communication, and collaboration across disciplines and delivered better patient outcomes.
In March, Congress passed its annual appropriations package for fiscal year (FY) 2024, allocating nearly $2 trillion to fund the government through September 30, 2024. This package includes resources for essential government agencies and research programs that drive medical advances, enhance care quality, and disseminate best practices.
Abiomed is recalling the instructions for use of its Impella Left Sided Blood Pumps because the pump catheter may perforate (cut) the wall of the left ventricle in the heart. The FDA has identified this as a Class I recall-- the most urgent type of recall-- where use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
The recalled devices include:
US Available Product Names: Impella 2.5; Impella CP; Impella CP with SmartAssist; Impella 5.0; Impella 5.5 with SmartAssist ; Impella LD
Distribution Dates: October 10, 2021 to October 10, 2023
During operations, the recalled Impella device could cut through the wall of the left ventricle. Use of the pumps could cause left ventricle perforation or free wall rupture, hypertension, lack of blood flow, and death. The FDA stated that there have been 129 reported serious injuries, including 49 reports of death.
Customers of Impella devices should have received an Urgent Medical Device Correction letter from Abiomed on December 27, 2023. The letter requested customers adhere to the following new and revised warnings:
Carefully position the pump catheter during operative procedures
Use imaging when advancing or torquing the pump catheter
Use special care when inserting the pump catheter in patients with certain high-risk conditions or during active CPR
Review the updated warnings in the device’s Instructions for Use
Notify everyone at your facility who needs to be informed of this recall correction
Notify any other facilities where the products have been forwarded the updated Instructions for Use
If you have questions about this recall, contact Abiomed, Inc. at (978) 646-1400. To report a problem, complete the FDA reporting form.
Cardiothoracic surgery has historically been dominated by men. Yet the narrative of women in the specialty is one of groundbreaking achievements, perseverance, and resilience.
